British Prime Minister Theresa May has held talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the start of a three-day trip to Japan with aspirations of forging a trade deal similar to existing deals already signed by the EU.

May visited Kyoto after flying into Kansai International Airport in Osaka this week and was introduced to a range of Japanese customs, including a traditional Japanese tea ceremony followed by a session of cleaning up in the kitchen and dish washing.

“Ah yeah, we’re gonna have to get you to go clean that up after you finish drinking your tea,” Abe told May.

May was guided to the kitchen and handed a range of Japanese sanitary products and some rubber gloves.

“All of these made-in-Japan cleaning products are of the highest quality – or at least that’s what my wife tells me,” said Abe.

Abe’s aids informed May they were scheduled to have dinner early so she “might as well start washing the rice too”.